We consider the problem of geometric optimization for the lowest eigenvalue of the two-dimensional Schrdinger operator with an attractive -interaction of a fixed strength, the support of which is a star graph with finitely many edges of an equal length L(0,]. Under the constraint of fixed number of the edges and fixed length of them, we prove that the lowest eigenvalue is maximized by the fully symmetric star graph. The proof relies on the Birman-Schwinger principle, properties of the Macdonald function, and on a geometric inequality for polygons circumscribed into the unit circle.

We show that there are 2^{2^{ℵ_0}} different closed ideals in the Banach algebra L(L_p(0,1)),1<p≠2<∞. This solves a problem in A. Pietsch’s 1978 book “Operator Ideals”. The proof is quite different from other methods of producing closed ideals in the space of bounded operators on a Banach space; in particular, the ideals are not contained in the strictly singular operators and yet do not contain projections onto subspaces that are non-Hilbertian. We give a criterion for a space with an unconditional basis to have 2^{2^{ℵ_0}} closed ideals in terms of the existence of a single operator on the space with some special asymptotic properties. We then show that for 1<q<2 the space Xq of Rosenthal, which is isomorphic to a complemented subspace of L_q(0,1), admits such an operator.

We analyze a family of singular Schrdinger operators with local singular interactions supported by a hypersurface n, n 2, being the boundary of a Lipschitz domain, bounded or unbounded, not necessarily connected. At each point of the interaction is characterized by four real parameters, the earlier studied case of - and -interactions being particular cases. We discuss spectral properties of these operators and derive operator inequalities between those referring to the same hypersurface but different couplings and describe their implications for spectral properties.

Bisch and Jones proposed the classification of planar algebras by simple generators and relations. They investigated with the second author the classification of planar algebras generated by 2-boxes. In this paper, we classify singly-generated Thurston-relation planar algebras, defined as subfactor planar algebras generated by a 3-box satisfying a relation proposed by Dylan Thurston. Our main result shows that such subfactor planar algebras are either the E6 subfactor planar algebras or belong to a two-parameter family of planar algebras arising from the representations of type A quantum groups. We introduce a new method for determining positivity of the Markov trace of planar algebras in this family.

An irreducible II_1-subfactor A⊂B is exactly 1-supertransitive if B⊖A is reducible as an A − A bimodule. We classify exactly 1-supertransitive subfactors with index at most 6+1/5, leaving aside the composite subfactors at index exactly 6 where there are severe difficulties. Previously, such subfactors were only known up to index 3+\sqrt{5} ≈ 5.23. Our work is a significant extension, and also shows that index 6 is not an insurmountable barrier.There are exactly three such subfactors with index in (3+\sqrt{5},6+1/5], all with index 3+2\sqrt{2}. One of these comes from SO(3)_q at a root of unity, while the other two appear to be closely related, and are ‘braided up to a sign’.